Photo of the flaring base of a tree covered with green bryophytes. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.
Lest you think epiphytes are found only in the tropics, look to the bryophytes. Mosses & liverworts survive drought by drying without dying. They can shrivel up on dry days but resurrect in the next rain. #bryophyte #moss #liverwort #epiphyte #Botany πΎπ§ͺπ±
Today I decided to focus on one small Oak tree near Abbotsbury hill-fort in Dorset - here are some of the lichens, liverworts, mosses and algae I found growing on its trunk and branches. Amazing. #lichen #liverwort #moss #algae #oak
The scene is set in a sunken lane in Devon. A narrow path runs beside a shallow stream flowing over limestone, with banks about 2 metres high on either side. These banks are built of soil and stone and are thickly covered in moss (bryophytes), rising into shade cast by mature trees above. On one of these damp banks, the image shows a close view of a pale green leafy liverwort (a bryophyte) forming a soft mat about 4β6 cm across among darker bryophytes. The shoots lie flattened along the surface, with rounded leaves arranged in rows along each stem, giving a layered but not overlapping appearance. Each leaf is about 1.2 mm long and 1 mm wide, with a pair of small, divergent teeth at the tip. Scattered across the colony are numerous tiny yellow-green spheres (gemmae) raised on short upright stalks, standing slightly above the leaves like small beads or lamps.
The joy of being new to a subject is that every find feels like a wonder.
Today Notched Pouchwort (Calypogeia arguta) caught my eye, yellow gemmae like tiny lamps on a woodland bank.
#liverwort #bryophyte
Photomicrograph of Toothed Pouncewort
Photomicrograph of Toothed Pouncewort
Here's a photomicrograph of the very small #liverwort Toothed Pouncewort (Drepanolejeunea hamatifolia) from West #Cornwall. It's very small and I didn't have my camera to photograph in situ! It's a temperate rainforest species.
A bright green leafy liverwort (bryophyte) forming a dense mat across the upper surface of a small rock in a shallow woodland stream. The rock sits mid-channel, with softly blurred flowing water to the left of the image. The liverwort spreads outward in overlapping shoots, each only a few millimetres long, creating a low, irregular carpet across the rock surface, roughly the size of a hand. Individual shoots show paired leaves arranged in two rows along the stem, giving a flattened appearance. The leaf tips are divided into two small pointed lobes (bifid), with slightly toothed edges that catch the light. The leaves overlap like tiny tiles, holding moisture, and appear slightly translucent and glossy where wet. Other darker green bryophytes are interwoven beneath and around the colony, but the Bifid Crestwort stands out as a fresher, brighter green layer on top. The scene is partially shaded, with light filtering in and reflecting softly off the wet leaves and nearby water, emphasising the hydrated, thriving condition of the plant. Liverworts, moss, and hornworts are all bryophytes, small plants that live where moisture lingers.
Delighted to come across a bright green colony of Bifid Crestwort (Lophocolea bidentata) covering a rock mid-stream today.
Devon woodland
#liverwort #bryophyte
Bryophytes on tree bark in a shaded woodland setting. A thin colony of liverworts covers the upper surface of a small branch, forming a patch about 2 cm across. The growth is mixed: fresh bright green, flat ribbon-like strands lie alongside darker, purplish-brown shoots. Some shoots appear tightly overlapping and slightly inflated, segmented like a millipede, while others are flatter and more translucent, tongue-like, branching irregularly and spreading across the bark. The colony forms a low mat rather than a cushion, clinging closely to the surface of the branch. The contrast between the green and purplish tones, together with growth forms unfamiliar to the naked eye, gives the patch a textured, almost otherworldly appearance. Likely a mix of liverwort species including Dilated Scalewort (Frullania dilatata), which forms small purplish overlapping shoots with pocket-like lobules, and Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata), which grows as flat, forked ribbons. Liverworts, moss, and hornworts are all bryophytes, small plants that live where moisture lingers.
Amazing liverwort colonies for #HotStickSaturday looking like something out of sci-fi.
A 2 cm purplish patch on a small branch in Devon this week, growing among moss.
Likely Dilated Scalewort (Frullania dilatata) and Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata).
#bryophyte #liverwort
Having been in the exotic pet hobby for so long. Its not uncommon that I see places and think "this looks like a vivarium background." Such was certainly the case with these ferns growing on a sheer cliff face at Bushkill Falls.
#fern #moss #ferns #mosses #liverwort #flora #plants
Scapania compacta has leaf lobes that are a similar size, facing in similar orientations. This gives it a flatter, more regular look compared to other, more three-dimensional species.
Scapania compacta
Despite being full of rain here, this is a Scapania species found in relatively drier areas. It was very common across a slate covered, gravelly riverside in the Lake District due to the free-draining nature of the substrate.
#bryophytes #liverwort
#uknature #liverworts
#plants
African #liverwort has been used to formulate a light petroleum-based cream called #BryoCream. Administration to foot infections of #diabetics resulted in a 90% cure rate in three weeks. @FungalPharmacy @InnerTraditions amzn.to/3N1iIJl #ad #StevosNovelIdeas #moss #booksky
Radula rheophila, ventral views of sterile plant (holotype).
#NewSpecies!
Radula rheophila
A newly discovered #liverwort from #thailand!
Treatment: treatment.plazi.org/id/F613211E-...
Publication: doi.org/10.3897/phyt...
#PhytoKeys #RadulaRheophila
#FAIRdata
#ecology #taxonomy #nature #biodiversity #conservation #botany #flora #plants #wildlife #radulaceae
Macro photograph of a liverwort bryophyte, Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata), showing narrow forked green thalli forming a small tangled mat. The flattened shoots branch repeatedly into slender ribbon-like strands about 1 mm wide. Many of these ribbons extend downward together, hanging like a delicate green fringe, with each strand dividing again and again into fine forks. Along the central midrib of several ribbons are small green oblong swellings, developing sporophytes enclosed within tiny protective hoods called shoot-calyptrae. Under magnification these hoods appear faintly hairy, with delicate hair-like projections giving them a soft, slightly fuzzy outline. As they mature the calyptrae darken, becoming brownish compared with the surrounding bright green thallus. Scattered among them are pale star-like remnants, likely empty calyptrae left after earlier sporophytes matured. The image shows several stages of the liverwort reproductive structures emerging directly from the surface of the ribbon-like thallus.
Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata) liverwort close-up.
I think the small green oblong structures are developing sporophytes. They are enclosed in protective hoods with delicate hair-like projections. The hoods darken as they mature.
tinyurl.com/metzgeria-fu...
#bryophyte #liverwort
Wednesday 11th March
Conocephalum conicum 'Great Scented Liverwort' along the Kelvin Walkway. Probably the commonest #liverwort found around Glasgow.
Forked veilwort liverwort (Metzgeria furcata) growing on rough bark of an old tree. Other mature trees are in the distance. The liverwort forms a loose green patch made of many narrow flat ribbons (thalli) spreading across the bark. Each ribbon repeatedly divides into two equal forks, creating a branching pattern that looks like small antlers or delicate green streamers. The thalli of this bryophyte are translucent bright green when wet, with smooth edges and rounded tips. Some branches overlap and layer slightly over each other, forming a thin mat across the bark surface. tinyurl.com/ywv2xvm4
I went from seeing Forked Veilwort (Metzgeria furcata) for the first time a few days ago to realising it's everywhere in the woodland.
Those tongue-like thalli are only about 1 mm wide.
#liverwort #bryophyte
A close view of a tiny liverwort bryophyte growing along a slender fallen twig in a damp Devon woodland. The twig runs diagonally across the image and is densely covered by a soft green mat of very small leafy shoots. Each shoot creeps closely along the surface of the wood and hangs slightly over the sides, forming layered fronds only a few millimetres wide. The colony itself is small, about 2 cm across. The leaves are closely packed and overlap like tiny roof tiles. Each leaf is rounded to oval and translucent fresh green, giving the patch a soft luminous appearance in the woodland light. Many leaves show a slight fold or pocket near their base that creates a small forward-facing flap. These pocket-like structures are subtle in the photograph but become clearer when the plant is examined under a microscope. The shoots lie mostly in two flattened rows along the stem, producing a delicate branching pattern that spreads across the twig and drapes slightly over its underside. Beneath the main patch a few slender shoots of a feathery moss hang downward, their thin leaves forming narrow green sprays that contrast with the broader rounded leaves of the liverwort. The background is softly blurred woodland β muted greens and browns suggesting bark, moss, and shaded vegetation. Moisture and shade are implied by the fresh colour and the dense bryophyte growth covering the wood. Under the microscope the leaves reveal hexagonal cells and small pocket-like lobules.
I saw this beautiful little liverwort for the first time today.
I think it may be Micheliβs Least Pouncewort (Lejeunea cavifolia).
It was growing on a fallen twig in woodland in Devon.
The whole patch was only about 2 cm across.
tinyurl.com/lejeunea-cav...
#liverwort #bryophyte
P. Platyphylla is a liverwort with a complex structure made up of lobes, lobules and underleaves- but only the lobes are visible when viewed from above like in this photo.
Porella platyphylla
This example was found on limestone crags, and the species generally prefers drier, calcereous conditions than other Porella species.
It is our most common Porella species in England πΏ
#bryophytes #liverwort
#nature #plants
#ukbotany
Now found in 5 Irish counties as of yesterday from Cos. Louth/Armagh and this marks the first for the east coast!
Phenologically has been recorded In July, September, October and March
#fungifriends #ireland #bryology #liverwort
Close photograph of a bright green liverwort bryophyte, Crescent-cup Liverwort (Lunularia cruciata), growing in a small patch on damp bare soil beside a woodland path. The plant forms flat rounded plates called a thallus rather than stems and leaves. Several of these plates overlap on the soil surface. On top of it sit distinctive crescent-shaped cups (gemma cups) with raised rims. Inside the cups are clusters of tiny green discs called gemmae, these are small clones of the parent plant. When rain falls into the cups it splashes the gemmae out onto nearby soil where they grow into new plants. The thallus surface appears smooth and slightly glossy, with a faint speckled pattern from tiny air pores. The liverwort grows among small moss shoots and damp soil particles on the shaded woodland floor.
Crescent-cup Liverwort (Lunularia cruciata) was vibrant in the woods yesterday.
The crescent cups with their raised rims hold tiny plant clones called gemmae. Rain splashes them onto the soil where they grow into new plants.
tinyurl.com/mr3f8e93
#bryophyte #liverwort
Close-up of Great Scented Liverwort (Conocephalum conicum), a liverwort bryophyte, growing on damp soil beside a woodland brook. Bright green flat lobed thalli spread across the bank, each surface marked with a striking mosaic of small polygon patterns. This liverwort releases a citrus scent when gently rubbed.
I was delighted to see this today, I think it is Great Scented Liverwort "Conocephalum conicum" growing on the bank of the brook in a Devon woodland.
tinyurl.com/2rusmr8p
#liverwort
π’ New publication 'MarpolBase: #genome database for #Marchantia polymorpha featuring high quality reference genome sequences' by Yasuhiro Tanizawa et al. in Plant and Cell Physiology π§ͺπ§¬
doi.org/10.1093/pcp/...
#liverwort
A displaced colony of epiphytes that fell from a tree is pictured against the grey vinyl seat of a vehicle. The chunk is composed of braided-looking maroon-olive liverworts, some minty grey lichen, and a few tiny tufts of moss that are being throttled by the liverworts.
A pleasing chunk of liverworts and lichens and a few tufts of moss that fell out of an English walnut tree at work. I had no idea it was damp enough in the canopy esp with our dry summers for liverworts to thrive like this! Chunk is as big as my hand.
#lichenlovers #bryophytes #liverwort
#VInature
Photo taken on April 17, 2020 with my NIKON D5200 Find more information at https://gommadigitale.com/photo/17-04-2020/867
#photo #leaf #flower #plant #terrestrialPlant #Liverwort #nonVascularLandPlant #vascularPlant - https://gommadigitale.com/photo/17-04-2020/867
I think the bracket fungi might be Ganoderma adspersum for #FungiFriday this week. Spotted in a wood next to Sled Lane, Crawcrook. Also found a nice patch of Greater Featherwort and Hartβs tongue thyme moss on the walk #FungiFriends #Moss #Liverwort
Photo of liverwort reproductive structures. Five light green stalks rise from dark green pieces of liverwort thallus/body. At the top of the stalks are light green capsules holding round, brown spore capsules that kind of look like eyes.
Liverwort, Athalamia hyalina. They always look angry.
#liverwort #bryophyte #fungifriends
NWT, Canada.
Photo of the female reproductive structures of liverwort M. polymorpha. They look like tiny, green palm treesβ¦a forest of them.
Liverwort, Marchantia polymorpha. The female reproductive structures in the photo are about 3cm high. Northwest Territories, Canada.
#liverwort #bryophyte #botany #fungifriends
A non-differentiated plant, in the sense that is has no stems and leaves, but a single type of tissue (thallus) that sits against the substrate which is a tree in this case. It has regular patterns of dents and is fresh green.
NullPointer π (@nuiipointer.bsky.social)
bsky.app/profile/nuiipointer.bsky...
Really cool liverwort (?) that I saw in Madeira. Photo of backside of the plant below.
Not so familiar with liverworts yet but they seem interesting.
#liverwort #moss #plants
A non-differentiated plant, in the sense that is has no stems and leaves, but a single type of tissue (thallus) that sits against the substrate which is a tree in this case. It has regular patterns of dents and is fresh green.
Really cool liverwort (?) that I saw in Madeira. Photo of backside of the plant below.
Not so familiar with liverworts yet but they seem interesting.
#liverwort #moss #plants
A flat plant with no stems or leaves, growing in flat lobes on the substrate. It is green and wet and it consists of many small bits that look like cells.
Snakeskin liverwort (Conocephalum conicum). You can see why.
#liverwort #moss #madeira
Photo of liverwort sporophytes. They look like goofy little aliens with green necks, green hoods and single brown eyes peeking out from the hoods.
Liverwort Athalamia hyalina, looking like the advance party for a goofy alien invasion. The liverwort structures are about 1cm high. #liverwort #bryophyte #fungifriends
